tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18628120793787272032024-03-08T01:12:39.142-05:00AI Software - Terry's BlogI'm Terry Robinski and I hope to keep you up to date with useful information as it relates to web design, software development and SEO (search engine optimization).Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01449486486668591273noreply@blogger.comBlogger48125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1862812079378727203.post-43369643564081205222014-07-30T20:17:00.001-04:002014-07-30T20:17:01.260-04:00Internet Usage Statistics<p><br>Ever wonder why an effective web presence is important? Sometimes all you have to do is look at the numbers! Here are some interesting statistics regarding Internet usage…</p> <div align="center"> <table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" width="560" align="center" border="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td valign="top" width="114"><strong><u>Year (7/1)</u></strong></td> <td valign="top" width="145"><strong><u>Internet Users</u></strong></td> <td valign="top" width="131"><strong><u>Growth %</u></strong></td> <td valign="top" width="168"><strong><u>Penetration*</u></strong></td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="114">2014</td> <td valign="top" width="145">2,925,249,355</td> <td valign="top" width="131">7.9%</td> <td valign="top" width="168">40.4%</td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="114">2013</td> <td valign="top" width="145">2,712,239,573</td> <td valign="top" width="131">8.0%</td> <td valign="top" width="168">37.9%</td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="114">2012</td> <td valign="top" width="145"> <p>2,511,615,523</p></td> <td valign="top" width="131">10.5%</td> <td valign="top" width="168">35.5%</td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="114">2011</td> <td valign="top" width="145">2,272,463,038</td> <td valign="top" width="131"> <p>11.7%</p></td> <td valign="top" width="168">32.5%</td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="114">2010</td> <td valign="top" width="145">2,034,259,368</td> <td valign="top" width="131">16.1%</td> <td valign="top" width="168">29.4%</td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="114">2009</td> <td valign="top" width="145">1,752,333,178</td> <td valign="top" width="131">12.2%</td> <td valign="top" width="168">25.6%</td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="114">2008</td> <td valign="top" width="145">1,562,067,594</td> <td valign="top" width="131"> <p>13.8%</p></td> <td valign="top" width="168">23.1%</td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="114">2007</td> <td valign="top" width="145">1,373,040,542</td> <td valign="top" width="131">18.6%</td> <td valign="top" width="168">20.6%</td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="114">2006</td> <td valign="top" width="145">1,157,500,065</td> <td valign="top" width="131">12.4%</td> <td valign="top" width="168">17.6%</td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="114">2005</td> <td valign="top" width="145">1,029,717,906</td> <td valign="top" width="131"> <p>13.1%</p></td> <td valign="top" width="168">15.8%</td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="114">2004</td> <td valign="top" width="145">910,060,180</td> <td valign="top" width="131">16.9%</td> <td valign="top" width="168">14.1%</td></tr></tbody></table></div><br>*Percentage of global population w/ Internet Access. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01449486486668591273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1862812079378727203.post-65988351712152824172014-06-13T06:20:00.001-04:002014-06-13T06:20:44.730-04:00How Video Can Bolster Your Web Presence<p><br>Did you know that YouTube is the second most queried search engine behind Google (who acquired YouTube in 2006). Videos add life and tell a story, but can also help you get higher rankings on search engines!.</p> <p>There is only so much that text and graphics can do to create a personality and voice for your overall web presence. Well – produced videos can make a huge impact when used effectively. <p>Here are a few suggestions for improving your web presence with video:<br> <ul> <li>Like anything else, make sure the videos are quality. Putting low quality or poorly-produced content out there tells a story also – just not the right one. Same advice as who you hire for your web presence, use a professional firm!<br></li> <li>Utilize testimonials / case studies. Not only can testimonials be impactful on a website or social media channel, your sales staff can forward links (with a proposal) to potential customers to get attention and position your firm above the competitors.<br></li> <li>Keep it short. 2 minutes is a lifetime for heavy YouTube users. Tell your story in 20-30 seconds. <br> </li> <li>Plan ahead to maximize resources. In other words, sit with your video company for 15-20 minutes of content. If you are using 20-30 second spots, you just covered yourself for the whole year.</li></ul> <p>As always, if you want some help putting it together, let us know: <a href="http://www.aisoftware.us">www.aisoftware.us</a></p> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01449486486668591273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1862812079378727203.post-72550169760496456682014-04-20T18:36:00.001-04:002014-04-20T18:36:42.525-04:00Vulnerabilities | Through The Eyes of Hackers<p><br><em>NOTE: Content provided by <a href="http://www.edgewave.com/" target="_blank">EdgeWave</a><br></em><br>A key strategy in cyber-security and cyber-warfare is to understand how attackers view the world, and use these insights to empower the defenders facing them.</p> <p>The report <i>“Vulnerabilities – the World Through the Eyes of Hackers”</i> was written by Or Weis, veteran security expert with a background in cyber-warfare in both government and civilian arenas. <p><b><a href="http://landing.edgewave.com/WP-Hacker-Vulnerabilities-0414-Landing.html?mkt_tok=3RkMMJWWfF9wsRoiu6TOZKXonjHpfsX56%2BkuUKeg38431UFwdcjKPmjr1YYERcZ0aPyQAgobGp5I5FEMQrPYWKp0t6ELUw%3D%3D" target="_blank">Download this report today</a></b> to understand how cybercriminals identify targets, how they evaluate the ROI of an attack, and the different steps of an attack. By understanding these insights, you can increase the cost to a hacker, making a cyberattack unprofitable and keeping your organization safe. <p><strong><a href="http://landing.edgewave.com/WP-Hacker-Vulnerabilities-0414-Landing.html?mkt_tok=3RkMMJWWfF9wsRoiu6TOZKXonjHpfsX56%2BkuUKeg38431UFwdcjKPmjr1YYERcZ0aPyQAgobGp5I5FEMQrPYWKp0t6ELUw%3D%3D" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a></strong> to download the full white paper for this article.</p> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01449486486668591273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1862812079378727203.post-43537034748236193082014-03-31T19:15:00.001-04:002014-03-31T19:15:40.396-04:00Understanding Organic SEO & Getting Results<p><br>Every business needs a strong online presence in order to flourish in today's business climate. But a great product line and a well constructed website aren’t enough to get your business at the top of Google search results. So, how do you master the mysterious world of organic search engine optimization (or, SEO)? With a good strategy and a few tricks.</p> <p>SEO is the method of how search engines, like Google or Bing, rank web sites. <p>It used to be that search engines would use the frequency of keywords as a primary method for how to rank sites, but that led to a lot of useless web site babble and inaccurate search results. Which is why Its no longer as simple as how often a keyword or phrase is stuffed within a page or post; Google has gotten more sophisticated than that, taking all manner of factors into account. <p>Now, how often your site is linked, how often your pages are shared on social media (like Facebook or Google+), keywords in the page titles and meta descriptions are the kinds of factors weighed and measured in Google's ever-evolving analytics algorithm. <p>This is where the Organic SEO comes in. <p>How you employ those factors and how well the information you present on your site is received by the public determines your search engine ranking; below, of course, the paid advertisers which claim the top 3 or 4 spots on any given page of search results. <p>What this means for any business, from startup to the well established, is that in order to score the top (unpaid) spot, your company should: <ul> <li>Present relevant, well written information on your web site that your client base can use and will be interested in sharing with others <li>Carefully consider page titles so that they incorporate keywords important to your audience <li>Establish and maintain a social media presence through popular sharing sites like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn <li>Post frequent, informative blog posts on your web site; this not only offers your client base information to share with others interested in your product or services but also refreshes content on your site regularly, something search engines like</li></ul> <p>Of course, all of that is essentially a full time job in-and-of-itself. Working it into an already demanding schedule is nearly impossible, which is why so many companies start out with good intentions and end up abandoning their Facebook page or letting their blogs lie fallow after a couple of great posts. <p>This leaves companies with essentially two options: bring a social media, web site guru on staff and task them with keeping your company at the top of search engine lists or outsource it. Either way, when you have someone assigned to updating your webpage, maintaining your blog, and managing your social media accounts, you can get on with the business of running a business. <p>AI Software offers a variety of services that will keep your company at the top of the heap—from web development to social media management. We use a unique blend of traditional SEO and mini-sites (links within your site) to improve your ranking. <p>To find out today what we can do to help you stand out from the crowd, contact us today by filling out this form (<a href="https://www.aisoftware.us/form.aspx?ID=1002">https://www.aisoftware.us/form.aspx?ID=1002</a>) or giving us a call at 866.987.8889. <p>Also, keep up to date with us on Twitter (<a href="https://twitter.com/aisoftwareinc">https://twitter.com/aisoftwareinc</a>) and Facebook (<a href="http://www.facebook.com/aisoftwareinc">http://www.facebook.com/aisoftwareinc</a>) for more info and tips on how to keep up with the rapidly developing world of technology.</p> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01449486486668591273noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1862812079378727203.post-51505178252878285192014-03-03T11:28:00.001-05:002014-03-03T11:28:16.622-05:00A Rough Guide To Social Media Marketing<p><br><b><u>A Rough Guide To Social Media Marketing</u></b></p> <p>Facebook… Twitter… LinkedIn… Google+... Does this list look like a random list of letters from a bowl of alphabet soup? Then chances are, you’re not taking total advantage of today’s unique business and marketing environment. <p>Many businesses are not effectively using social media, which is the new word-of-mouth advertising. Social media marketing provides a face in a sea of anonymous information, giving you a leg up on your competition, helping you to reach new customers and keep in contact with established clients. <p>Below is a basic rundown of the most popular social networks. Use it to help you decide where to expand and explore. Some experts claim that you should stick to one network where you feel comfortable and build your presence, but our research has shown that a combination of networks is the most effective, for reaching the widest amount of potential customers. <p><b><u>Facebook</u></b> <p>Facebook is a great place to start. It has the most monthly users (more than 1.19 billion as of June 2013). Facebook pages and posts are “liked” (or seen and given a virtual “thumbs up”) over 4.5 billion times a day and customers are more likely to purchase products they have “liked.” Facebook is also the most common network for news and information spread among family and friends. <p><b><u>Twitter</u></b> <p>Twitter is the go-to source for news, updates and social interaction. It adds a voice and a personality to your brand. Twitter features a younger demographic than Facebook, between 18 - 49, and it’s on the rise. Twitter’s users increased by 40% in the second half of 2012 alone. 34% of marketers have generated leads using Twitter, and shoppers have reported they are more likely to visit brand sites when exposed to brand tweets. Twitter is also useful for finding connections, using the # function. <p><b><u>LinkedIn</u></b> <p>LinkedIn is the premier virtual business marketplace. It’s useful for building business contacts, promoting brand authority and legitimacy and building customer advocacy. LinkedIn has over 238 million users in over 200 countries, many of which (30 million) are recent college graduates; ideal for when you’re looking to hire. Business leads are three times as likely to convert as on Facebook or Twitter. LinkedIn is also great for networking by utilizing the many interest groups available. <p><b><u>Google+</u></b> <p>Google+ is definitely the new kid on the block. It was started in 2011 and has the least members of all the major social networks, at 300 million. But this is really just an opportunity in disguise. The Google+ market isn’t as flooded and there is room to capture attention and build valuable connections with potential clients. Google+ has a higher percentage of male users than the other Social Networks, which makes it a useful place to spread technology news and the handy inclusion of “circles” gives you more control over who gets to see what. As an added bonus, posts that have been given the “+1” show up higher in the search result pages of Google, which is a major win in the online marketing game. <p>Of course there are a lot of other venues, including YouTube and Pinterest, as well as scheduling, promoting, tagging and engaging with other users to consider in your grand plan. But this will get you started and once you jump in, you’ll see how useful social marketing can be. <p>If it turns out that social media marketing isn’t your forte, we have over a decade of experience to draw on. <a href="https://www.aisoftware.us/form.aspx?ID=1002">Contact us today</a>, to see how we can help grow your company. </p> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01449486486668591273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1862812079378727203.post-60070641663738226732013-09-02T21:29:00.001-04:002013-09-02T21:29:15.497-04:00How to Sell Your Products Online<p><em><font size="2">Helpful Tips To Enter the World of Online Selling</font></em></p> <p><b><font size="2">Your Web Presence is Important</font></b> <p><font size="1">In order to sell products online you need to have an effective web presence. Otherwise, no one will take you seriously. If customers do not see an effective and professional web presence, they will not purchase your products.</font> <p><b><font size="2">Secure Your Position</font></b> <p><font size="1">Make sure you have a secure (SSL encrypted website) and secure your online rankings (</font><a href="https://www.aisoftware.us/page.aspx?ID=1016#.UiU6Mz-GGF4" target="_blank"><font size="1">Search Engine Optimization / SEO</font></a><font size="1">). Choose a </font><a href="http://www.aisoftware.us" target="_blank"><font size="1">credible partner</font></a><font size="1"> to make sure this is taken care of so you can focus on selling your products.</font> <p><b><font size="2">Choose a Platform / Processor</font></b> <p><font size="1">You need to choose a secure online payment system. </font><a href="http://www.aisoftware.us" target="_blank"><font size="1">AI Software</font></a><font size="1"> recommends </font><a href="http://www.authorize.net" target="_blank"><font size="1">Authorize.net</font></a><font size="1"> – however, there are many systems out there that can handle this. If it does not work properly, you won’t sell.</font> <p><b><font size="2">Market Your Product / Market Your Website</font></b> <p><font size="1">Your existing and potential customers need to find you online. The only way they can know is via advertising. Market appropriately so the world can find you online. You may want to use social media such as Facebook and Twitter to announce your arrival online. You may choose to start a blog to help market your online store. Use free and paid classified ads to market your internet based shop.</font> <p><font size="1"><strong>THAT’S IT</strong> – 4 things you need to do to sell online. Contact <a href="https://www.aisoftware.us/form.aspx?ID=1002#.UiU7Xj-GGF4" target="_blank">AI Software</a> to help make it happen for you.</font></p> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01449486486668591273noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1862812079378727203.post-15527255126792255302013-06-25T23:18:00.001-04:002013-06-25T23:18:04.996-04:00WEB-O-LUTION | How Things Have Changed<h5><font size="3"><em>The UN-OFFICIAL and abridged history of web development.</em></font></h5> <p>Without question, the evolution of <a href="https://www.aisoftware.us/page.aspx?ID=1014#.UcpdJ0nD_IU" target="_blank">web development</a> changes almost daily - here is a look back over the last decade (or so) of how things have changed.</p> <p><font color="#000000" size="2"><strong>The 1990s</strong></font></p> <p>While we were still pondering the impact of the ‘<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milli_Vanilli" target="_blank">Milli Vanilli Scandal’</a>, anyone who could write a few lines of HTML code was starting a business in the web design & development space. In these days, a website with a phone number, address and email link were acceptable. A few photos and a contact form were considered ‘cutting edge.’</p> <p><font color="#000000" size="2"><strong>2001 – 2003</strong></font></p> <p>The Internet ‘monoliths’ that we are familiar with today – such as <a href="http://www.ebay.com" target="_blank">eBay</a>/<a href="http://www.paypal.com" target="_blank">PayPal</a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com" target="_blank">Amazon</a>, <a href="http://www.dell.com" target="_blank">Dell</a>, etc.) were carving out enormous footprints (and market share) online. These companies were pioneers who showed everyone what can be possible online. They truly pushed the boundaries of Internet-based business process integration.</p> <p><strong><font color="#000000" size="2">2004 – 2006</font></strong></p> <p>A website became a necessity vs. a luxury. Content management programs became crucial in the development of a complete website. This trend set the stage for products like <a href="http://www.telerik.com/" target="_blank">Tellerik/Sitefinity</a>, DotNetNuke and Wordpress. Your organization now needs a platform vs. a website thanks to this trend.</p> <p><strong><font color="#000000" size="2">2007 – 2010</font></strong></p> <p>We were (collectively) introduced to Social Media. <a href="http://www.aifacebook.com" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/aisoftwareinc" target="_blank">Twitter</a> and <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/company/ai-software-inc." target="_blank">LinkedIn</a> dominated the news media. During this time, web integration (i.e. online purchasing, data management, etc.) turned into a mainstream requirement for serious organizations. </p> <p><strong><font color="#000000" size="2">2011 – 2012</font></strong></p> <p>‘APP’ development was the new trend. The brilliant marketing of <a href="http://www.apple.com" target="_blank">Apple</a> – coupled with the exponential adoption and usage of smart phones has created an environment that no one would have imagined 5-6 years prior. Mobile marketing is here – and here to stay.</p> <p><font color="#000000" size="2"><strong>2013 and Beyond</strong></font></p> <p>‘Websites’ are required – but a ‘<a href="https://www.aisoftware.us/page.aspx?ID=1011#.Ucpc8knD_IU" target="_blank">Web Presence</a>’ is a necessity. In order for your organization to succeed in the new economy – you require a trusted partner.</p> <p><a href="http://www.AISoftware.us">www.AISoftware.us</a></p> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01449486486668591273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1862812079378727203.post-75137851505473673872013-06-18T10:51:00.001-04:002013-06-18T10:51:28.252-04:00Sitting On A Porcupine<p> <hr> <br>One day, Jim ran into a long-time friend at the park. His friend, Doug was sitting on a porcupine. <p>Confused, Jim asked the first thing that came to his mind . . . . ‘Does that hurt?’</p> <p>Doug responded – ‘Oh yes, it is terribly painful, you have no idea, the slightest movements are agonizing.’</p> <p>‘Then why are you doing it’ Jim asked.</p> <p>Doug responded: <strong><em>‘Jim, it is MY porcupine.’</em></strong></p> <hr> <p>Don’t just hold onto ideas because they are ‘yours’ – expand your boundaries with the proper and most qualified design and development partners like <a href="http://www.aisoftware.us" target="_blank">AI Software, Inc.</a></p> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01449486486668591273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1862812079378727203.post-68189818630366332362013-06-11T22:46:00.001-04:002013-06-11T22:46:27.960-04:00Internet Trends<p><br>Here at <a href="http://www.aisoftware.us/" target="_blank">AI Software</a>, we had the unique opportunity to be privy to an excellent presentation created by KPBC regarding Internet trends.</p> <p><strong><u>Here are a few highlights:</u></strong></p> <ul> <li>Declining user base at Facebook (still the largest social user base by a country mile) ; given the rapid growth on Instagram, FB could still claim a growing base in total<br></li> <li>Nokia / Linux smartphone market share declined from over 60% in ’05 to less than 5% in ‘12 (primarily Android driven)<br></li> <li>100 hours per minute uploaded to YouTube (vs nothing 6 years ago)<br></li> <li>Took less than 3 years from intro before tablet shipments surpass PC shipments<br></li> <li>Alibaba Gross Merchandise Volume exceeds Amazon + eBay in Q4 ‘12<br></li></ul> <p>The full presentation can be viewed at the following link:<br><a title="http://www.kpcb.com/insights/2012-internet-trends-update" href="http://www.kpcb.com/insights/2012-internet-trends-update">http://www.kpcb.com/insights/2012-internet-trends-update</a></p> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01449486486668591273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1862812079378727203.post-80914243099628759612013-06-07T01:46:00.001-04:002013-06-07T01:47:17.681-04:00Success Through Tradition<p><br>Since AI Software is an organization in the web development industry, we have been (and still are) viewed as a ‘startup’ company. This label does not make much sense since our firm celebrated a decade in business in 2012 – and the only reason that we have enjoyed 10+ years of growth (with no debt and no venture capital) is by applying standard, real and proven business principals to an industry riddled with ‘start-up’ companies.</p> <p>As we find ourselves in 2013 – there have been three (3) or four (4) generations of ‘start-ups’, which are: <ul> <li><b>The 1990s</b> – everyone who could write a line of HTML was receiving enormous paychecks just to bring a website online. These were the days when a website with a phone number and logo were considered ‘cutting-edge.’</li> <li><b>2001 – 2003</b> – the ‘monoliths’ that we are familiar with today (such as eBay, Amazon, Dell, etc.) were establishing a HUGE Internet footprint and continue to grow today.</li> <li><b>2004 – 2010</b> – the advent of Social Media gave everyone with an ‘idea’ the opportunity to capitalize on the Internet. Few got wealthy, some got rich and many have ideas that still are ‘on the shelf’ or ‘in development’ as Social Media continues to evolve (YouTube being the front-runner in reach and innovation).</li> <li><b>2011 – 2013</b> – ‘APP’ development is the trend. Thanks to the brilliant marketing of Apple (and the followed competition from the Android marketplace), there is now no shortage of ‘WANT-repreneurs’ who are looking for the next Billion-dollar idea.</li></ul> <p>The reality is – for every Mark Zuckerberg, there are thousands of programmers who never had that billion dollar idea (or even a thousand dollar idea) for that matter. None of these ever panned out – and, you did not hear about them since it’s not ‘news’ unless the underdog makes a boat-load of cash. No one made a movie about the ones who failed. <p>Let’s have a similar look at the progression of AI Software – a company that used standard (time-tested) principles of business to become more than a startup: <ul> <li><b>The 1990s</b> – The founders of AI Software were engaging in such activities as sneaking out of their parents’ homes and going to prom. Toward the end of that particular decade, each principal had their own web design / development company, each embarrassing by today’s standards.</li> <li><b>2001 – 2003</b> – AI Software, Inc. was founded. The core belief was creating websites that could be managed by the client through a content management system (CMS) – then called ‘SiteManager’. Nowadays, this type of system is commonplace, but back then – it was revolutionary.</li> <li><b>2004 – 2010</b> – AI Software grew to 400+ clients in 30+ states operating out of offices in Cincinnati, Ohio and Scottsdale, AZ. The CMS evolved – as did the quality of our design.</li> <li><b>2011 – 2013</b> – AI Software has morphed into more of an ‘Online Marketing Partner (OMP)’ than web developers – staffing people who specialize in the areas necessary to build an effective web presence. These areas are:</li></ul> <p><b>Flair </b>– how your website looks (professional design). <p><b>Function </b>– how your website works (professional development). <p><b>Find-Ability </b>– how you rank on search engines such as Google, Yahoo and Bing. <p><b>Friends </b>– your social media footprint (which varies based on your industry). </p> <p>The evolution of AI Software, Inc. is not because of a ‘cooler’ idea or a ‘better mousetrap’ – but through traditional business principles such as:</p> <ul> <li>Provide each and every client a unique and special experience.|<br></li> <li>Create a product and service model that defines each client and sets them apart from the competition.<br></li> <li>Execute a systematic process that ensures each product is built with care and quality.<br></li> <li>Offer custom support programs that provide each client exactly what they need.</li></ul> <p>AI Software did not ‘build a better mousetrap’ – we found a way to deliver a new product by utilizing proven and effective business principles and standards. Our firm now enjoys success in a relatively ‘new’ industry – following the models of production and service created by such revolutionary people as: Henry Ford, Sam Walton and Cincinnati’s Own – Richard ‘Dick’ Farmer. <p>AI Software, Inc. – new technology delivered through proven principles. <p><i>BEYOND YOUR VISION – BEHIND YOUR SITE</i></p> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01449486486668591273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1862812079378727203.post-46769893115576659192012-09-11T09:38:00.001-04:002012-09-11T09:38:37.643-04:00WHAT HAPPENED WITH GODADDY (09/10/12)<p> <p>As many of you know (some through unfortunate first-hand experience), there was a hacking attack on <a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001wjhJjUWhVdWLTnivbn-T7_OFA1N1iD5PHi_ojUtimfeecrd4U_qef2hc9ftyQEbEprnPU0Tv4ZJD153-JUmfhKxrWj9t8UAB-l61jVo3Feg=">GoDaddy.com</a> on 9/10/12. Below are some things you may want to know about the issue: <p><strong><i>The Good:</i></strong> <p>If you are using a company like <a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001wjhJjUWhVdWWmsIZAM1nLJhaIFcom4d_-oyaa-3okdl-kqj0F2cmvQWyWElTdO6AM0OCMAwR03isVexbA9y57ZHIM4CZqmLIMbKAq3UNmo0=">AI Software</a> for your web services, your information is 100% safe - as our web hosting services are separate from domains (<a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001wjhJjUWhVdWLTnivbn-T7_OFA1N1iD5PHi_ojUtimfeecrd4U_qef2hc9ftyQEbEprnPU0Tv4ZJD153-JUmfhKxrWj9t8UAB-l61jVo3Feg=">GoDaddy</a>). Furthermore, <a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001wjhJjUWhVdWLTnivbn-T7_OFA1N1iD5PHi_ojUtimfeecrd4U_qef2hc9ftyQEbEprnPU0Tv4ZJD153-JUmfhKxrWj9t8UAB-l61jVo3Feg=">GoDaddy</a> is a VERY strong and reputable company and you can count on the fact that they are taking measures to prevent this type of thing from happening in the future. <p><strong><i>The Bad:</i></strong> <p>Hundreds of thousands of websites (if not more) experienced 4-5 hours of down time yesterday and countless hours of troubleshooting by IT companies like <a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001wjhJjUWhVdUiz7OcoPcQvkH_vlqY2lMnq8VuIaOl61tjZdDDh_uRVX08AaGADU5AymGChBxnfbskgSW5m2lhp338oQD7oG7I6IdCtl3M5L38gMLygqcPsw==">AI Software</a> were misspent due to this issue. [However, even if your website was down the entire day, that only accounts for .274% downtime total on the year.] <p><strong><i>The Ugly:</i></strong><br>Until World of Warcraft removes level caps, we (collectively) can expect that hackers will continue to try and disrupt Internet productivity. <p>More information available at <a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001wjhJjUWhVdX72cF8o3ZcehuT1NlhqUIKpr0KpGWmM94nt0rm7SrZOrtBbjep2EFrDXxeC8rDNIYqQyChuS8z9-KuG9kKE-SlTVwlyRnoEvYkip04c9EubxE0P08jxTk2BOCmnLUZlEFBsbflztdsSkidZfcs1002aUIEoP5eUi6y-70Aw6UoOxKz45khvfR8JC2O_7cDF6BRMDQrHO3y2A==">THIS LINK</a> [<a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001wjhJjUWhVdX72cF8o3ZcehuT1NlhqUIKpr0KpGWmM94nt0rm7SrZOrtBbjep2EFrDXxeC8rDNIYqQyChuS8z9-KuG9kKE-SlTVwlyRnoEvYkip04c9EubxE0P08jxTk2BOCmnLUZlEFBsbflztdsSkidZfcs1002aUIEoP5eUi6y-70Aw6UoOxKz45khvfR8JC2O_7cDF6BRMDQrHO3y2A==">From The New York Times Online</a>] </p> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01449486486668591273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1862812079378727203.post-84242812245454901892012-08-01T10:39:00.001-04:002012-08-01T10:39:44.260-04:00Having Only One Website is SOOOOO 2005<p><br>In 2012 an effective online strategy requires a web presence rather than just a single web-site (as was the case for so many years). To illustrate this point, think of your web presence as an extension of your business as follows:</p> <p><strong>Your Building/Location:</strong> This is your primary URL (or website) – the (virtual) location from which business happens. Sometimes products are for sale here (ecommerce).</p> <p><strong>Production/Engineering:</strong> This is the technology that powers your web site – commonly known as a CMS or Content Management System. This is where products are sold, processes are managed, content is created, etc.</p> <p><strong>Marketing:</strong> This is your SEO (Search Engine Optimization) or PPC (Pay Per Click) campaign. It should be tailored to match your business – just like traditional marketing.</p> <p><strong>Advertising:</strong> This takes place on your custom <a href="http://www.aiyoutube.com" target="_blank">YouTube Channel</a> that works with your marketing to ‘tell your story’ through the use of <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBuvHmPsNqM&list=FLW5KDUXrjDaRgqYbIg8W_ug&feature=plcp" target="_blank">informative and interesting videos</a> (This used to be known as ‘Television’). </p> <p><strong>Human Resources:</strong> This is now known as <a href="http://www.ailinkedin.com" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a>.</p> <p><strong>Sales Force:</strong> Commonly known as ‘The Social Network’ – effective salespeople are using tools like <a href="http://www.aifacebook.com" target="_blank">Facebook</a> and <a href="http://www.twitter.com/ebbz32" target="_blank">Twitter</a> to connect with customers and distribute the value proposition. <a href="http://www.jigsaw.com" target="_blank">Jigsaw</a>, <a href="http://www.ailinkedin.com" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a> and <a href="http://www.salesforce.com" target="_blank">Salesforce.com</a> are also highly effective in prospecting, tracking and winning business.</p> <p align="center"><font color="#cc0102" size="5" face="Bernard MT Condensed">Put your Web Presence together! We Can Help!</font></p> <p align="center"><font color="#000000" size="7" face="Bernard MT Condensed">866-987-8889</font></p> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01449486486668591273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1862812079378727203.post-18977761232527554032012-06-24T09:14:00.001-04:002012-06-24T09:14:21.659-04:00Using QR Codes For Event Marketing<p><br>Appropriate and effective promotional campaign is a crucial and integral part of organizing a successful event. Organizers can use various promotional tools to optimize their campaigns; QR code is one of them and is gaining ground these days.<br> <br>Quick Response code or QR code is widely used nowadays to make events interactive. This code simply refers to a barcode, which contains information that can be read into Smartphone. This article is going to show you how to use these codes to boost your event registration rate.<br> <br><strong>1. Link to Event Schedules</strong><br> <br>These codes help your attendees check an event schedule on their Smartphone, even when they are on the go. Organizers can place these codes at the registration desk, so that someone can scan it and bookmark it for future use. In fact, using this code, you can schedule your entire conference and reach out to a larger number of audience, even when they are not using their computer.<br> <br><strong>2. Mobile Ticketing</strong><br> <br>Keep in mind that these codes, if applied in the right way, are highly capable of accelerating your ticket sales. In fact, it is the most effective system that is designed for mobile ticketing. Using this code, you can reduce the production and distribution costs involved with manual, paper-based ticketing channels.<br> <br><strong>3. Event Promotion</strong><br> <br>A QR code allows you to promote your event extensively and in a short time. If you are distributing flyers and brochures, make sure of placing a QR code and link it directly to a sign up page. As a result, your potential attendees can sign up right away from their Smartphone. Moreover, such conveniences are likely to attract potential attendees in large numbers.<br> <br><strong>4. Registration Badges</strong><br> <br>With the arrival of QR codes, business cards are no more in the scenario. Using these codes on the registration badges, you can allow your attendees to exchange info by scanning the code and spreading it to their own network. It not only gives you access to a great deal of information, but also helps you do the same within a short time.<br> <br><strong>5. Sponsor Information</strong><br> <br>Using these codes, you can give your visitors a great opportunity to engage with sponsors. Put a QR code next to each sponsor's name on your event website as well as on the flyers. It will allow your attendees to learn more about that sponsor.<br> <br>Use Quick Response codes properly to boosts your event registration rapidly.<br><br><font size="1">Article Source: </font><a href="http://EzineArticles.com/6871083"><font size="1">http://EzineArticles.com/6871083</font></a></p> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01449486486668591273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1862812079378727203.post-53194648971951917102012-06-20T09:54:00.001-04:002012-06-20T09:54:07.160-04:00BANNED IN THE U.S.A.<p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-KceIqJFoVXk/T-HV_WdByGI/AAAAAAAAAKM/kIzQNP4AGEw/s1600-h/fbjail%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="fbjail" border="0" alt="fbjail" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-9mMf_Te3qwo/T-HV_tl7WBI/AAAAAAAAAKU/I_PzPQHuOig/fbjail_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="517" height="130"></a><br>In many large corporations, <a href="http://www.aifacebook.com" target="_blank">Facebook</a> and other social networks are banned. Some organizations have taken it a step further by banning their personnel from using personal mobile devices during business hours (by confiscating mobile devices at the start of the work day OR by installing ‘blocking’ radio waves – which prevent mobile devices from receiving signals when in the corporate building(s). <p>What fun it must be to work at a place like that, right? <p>There are several studies that show office productivity decreases when sites like <a href="http://www.aifacebook.com" target="_blank">Facebook</a> are banned from a corporate environment. There is also the fact that Facebook bans also find they lose the benefit of their staff giving their company free marketing support. Oh yeah, and let’s not forget the push-back and disloyalty that can be created when an organization treats personnel like junior high school students (i.e. taking away cell phones). <p>So why, then are companies willing to lose out on the marketing potential of their staff talking about them on <a href="http://www.aifacebook.com" target="_blank">Facebook</a>? <p>Most corporations site the issue of not trusting their staff to say positive things about the firm (may as well get rid of your Google reviews then while you’re at it, ban Yelp – or just remove the ability for any employee to search the Internet while at work, right?). <p>If you cannot trust staff members to communicate a positive image for your company (online or offline) – that says more about the organization’s culture, employment practices and employee relationships than it does about the access they have to social networking sites. <p>Sounds like an organizational problem, not a ‘<a href="http://www.aifacebook.com" target="_blank">Facebook</a>’ problem to me! <p>A new study emphasizes the following: <p><i>Psychologists have discovered that <a href="http://www.aifacebook.com" target="_blank">Facebook</a> usage during studying has no impact on the students who use <a href="http://www.aifacebook.com" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, compared with those who do not. The fear was that <a href="http://www.aifacebook.com" target="_blank">Facebook</a> would contribute to lower grades because of the distraction. However, this is not the case.</i> <p>This finding suggests suggest that staff selection is the key issue. If a company has issue with social networks, it may mean that they have larger human resources issues. Rather than shutting off passive (yet fruitful) marketing channels – why not stop hiring people who come to work to screw around?</p> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01449486486668591273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1862812079378727203.post-63933489623076877792012-06-11T17:59:00.001-04:002012-06-11T17:59:40.611-04:00Do’s & Don’ts of your WEB PRESENCE<p><br>Here at <a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=0015DNMful5JFM08ATO4sdtTf2APpEe2v_LlL8njHuT3gBZZDtQXjpVRul9Q-Y8zm93CRGF90Cc3RP8Rp91A3cvzTMm-niX6J_BNNL1bTWeECVVAwrSUSxbpg==">AI Software, Inc.</a>we often hear </p> <p><em><b>'I don't know what I don't know'</b></em> <p>It's difficult to follow the changing landscape of the Internet Marketing world and for this reason, we are happy to give you some Do's & Don'ts about: <p><strong><i>PUTTING YOUR WEB PRESENCE TOGETHER</i></strong>!<br><br> <hr align="center" size="2" width="100%"> <p><strong>DO</strong> | Hire a professional team that has personnel dedicated to each individual portion of your website. <p><strong>DON'T</strong> | Don't hire a single-person shop, it is impossible for a 'one-man-show' to design, develop, optimize and manage a web presence effectively.<br> <hr> <strong><br>DO</strong> | Make sure your web provider includes a content management system (CMS) so that your staff can make updates without incurring additional fees and waiting for simple and important updates. <p><strong>DON'T</strong> | Hire a firm that wants monthly retainers because they do not offer you the ability to update and manage your own content. Maintenance fees are OK, but having the ability to manage content on you own is a must.<br> <hr align="center" size="2" width="100%"> <p><strong>DO</strong> | When looking for SEO services, make sure your company can show examples of their work. It is very simple to ask a vendor to do a Google search and display results they have gotten for their clients. <p><strong>DON'T</strong> | Hire a 'SEO Expert' based on certifications. These 'consultants' are not programmers and have little knowledge of how algorithms actually work. They also typically lack knowledge and ability for technical SEO and will not be able to show you any examples of their work.<br> <hr align="center" size="2" width="100%"> <p><strong>DO</strong> | Hire web development professionals for your web presence. <p><strong>DON'T</strong> | Hire a 'general IT guy' to do your network, phones, web development. It is impossible for a single person to provide all IT functions well in today's marketplace.<br> <hr align="center" size="2" width="100%"> <p><strong>DO</strong> | Purchase every domain available that represents you brand - even vanity URLs such as '<a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=0015DNMful5JFM08ATO4sdtTf2APpEe2v_LlL8njHuT3gBZZDtQXjpVRul9Q-Y8zm93CRGF90Cc3RP8Rp91A3cvzaaxyBkL-wpbfaGdBrii5E44K0YvdUwt9Q==">www.aifacebook.com</a>'. Include misspellings. <p><strong>DON'T</strong> | Miss opportunities because someone mistypes a URL or cannot find your organization online.<br> <hr align="center" size="2" width="100%"> <strong><br>DO</strong> | Choose URLs that are easy to remember such as <a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=0015DNMful5JFM08ATO4sdtTf2APpEe2v_LlL8njHuT3gBZZDtQXjpVRul9Q-Y8zm93CRGF90Cc3RP8Rp91A3cvzaaxyBkL-wpbfaGdBrii5E44K0YvdUwt9Q==">www.WeSellThis.com</a>. <p><strong>DON'T</strong> | Choose URLs that are relevant but hard to remember and likely to be mistyped in a browser.<br> <hr align="center" size="2" width="100%"> <p><strong>DO</strong> | Hire AI Software to put your web presence together. <p><strong>DON'T</strong> | Hire another firm ;)</p> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01449486486668591273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1862812079378727203.post-17654194603462782822012-04-04T21:13:00.001-04:002012-04-04T21:13:29.317-04:00A Mobile Web Presence is Important<p><br>Once upon a time, not so very long ago, being available to your customers online 24/7 was enough. <p>But then along came the smartphone - and its even more agile cousin the tablet - and the expansive mobile data networks needed to support them. Suddenly the Internet came unfettered from desktops anchored to offices and homes and became a ubiquitous presence in our lives. <p>Today 24/7 just doesn't cut it. You must be available to your customers not only anytime but anywhere. At the corner coffee shop. In line at the supermarket. At the airport. In the very aisles of your competitor's store. <p>You may not know for certain when or where your customers might be looking for you, but you can be absolutely sure that you must be there if you want to stay competitive in today's market. <p>Consider this statistic: smartphones and tablets currently drive nearly seven percent of digital traffic in the U.S. <p>If that number doesn't wow you, try this on for size: experts predict that by 2013 - that's next year - more people will access the Internet via phone than computer. <p>It all boils down to this: the proliferation of smartphones and tablets in the past few years has changed the game. If you're in it to win it, you have to go mobile or go home. <p>But where do you start? <p><strong><font size="4">Look before you leap.</font></strong> <p>Before you take the plunge into the world of mobile, it's a good idea first to figure out where you currently stand so you know where you need to go and how best to get there. <p>Peruse your website on as many different devices as you can get your hands on. Put yourself in the shoes of your customers, and evaluate the quality of your experience as you navigate through your site. <p>How easy or difficult is it to select the specific link you want? <p>If you have a lot of images on your site, how long does it take to render on a mobile device? <p>Can you quickly and easily complete critical actions like locating contact information, filling out an inquiry form or even making a purchase? <p>If you identify any obstacles, or if the overall experience is frustrating in any way, you need to take action to make sure you give your business the best chances of capturing and converting mobile browsers. <p>There are a number of ways you can bring your site into the mobile era. To decide which approach is the right fit for your business, you must weigh your options based on your growth objectives and your customer's browsing habits. <p><strong><font size="4">Option 1: Build a dedicated mobile site.</font></strong> <p>A good mobile website is not simply a shrunken version of your primary site. It's designed specifically to deliver an experience that's optimized for the needs and preferences of the mobile user. <p>Keep in mind that these users aren't typically casual browsers; they're usually after a specific bit of information or seeking to accomplish a specific task. As a result, mobile websites don't usually offer all the bells and whistles of their desktop equivalents. Rather, the content and functionality are pared down significantly to offer only those features that are most useful to those on the go. <p>For example, while mobile users frequently comparison shop on their phones, they might not be as likely to actually go through the entire purchase process on their handheld device. As a result, you may not need to offer a full-fledged shopping cart on your mobile site. Instead, you might offer the capability for customers to log in to their account and save desired products to a wish list so they can quickly and easily complete their purchase later when they return to their desk. <p>Great mobile websites have certain elements in common. They focus on critical needs, such as providing access to key services and products and contact information. They limit the use of images to minimize page load time. They offer easy, intuitive, finger-friendly navigation. If forms are included, they are streamlined and ask only for the most essential information. They don't employ Flash, since Flash-based content is inaccessible to all iOS users. <p><strong><font size="4">Option 2: Employ responsive design.</font></strong> <p>Responsive design is the concept of building a website so that the layout of the site adapts and changes according to the resolution of the user's browser, which means that it looks just as good and performs just as well on a 27-inch desktop display as a 3.5-inch iPhone and all screen sizes in between. <p>The design is fluid and adapts to the browser and the platform on the fly. However, the change is more than just a straightforward scaling effect; rather, certain key elements within the design - such as navigational menus, links and search fields - shift and transform according to the resolution of the browser. <p>Employing responsive design allows you to deliver a robust experience to all users without the need to build and maintain a separate dedicated mobile version of your website. <p><strong><font size="4">Option 3: Get app-y.</font></strong> <p>A native app can be a fantastic mobile marketing tool, if done right. <p>However, it's not the right solution for everyone. Before you go down the app-building rabbit hole, there are a lot of questions to answer and obstacles to overcome. <p>How big is your customer base? Apps require a certain scale to make sense. If you're a mom-and-pop bakery, for example, you could theoretically develop an app that would let your customers design their own cupcakes and place their order right from their phone. While it would surely be a fun gimmick, it doesn't fulfill a broad-based need, and the app's ability to generate additional revenue would probably never offset the cost to create and maintain it. <p>That brings us to another point: you must carefully consider your ROI. If you sink many thousands of dollars into development and get it approved, will people really use it? If you can't develop an app that offers something people want and will use frequently - whether that's in the form of utility, convenience, content or all of the above - chances are good that your investment will end up buried in the app marketplace collecting dust. <p>Remember, too, that when you're dealing with apps, you either have to develop a version for each operating system (Android, iOS, etc.), which can be a costly proposition, or choose just one and ignore the needs of a huge percentage of your potential customer base, which is never a smart business decision. <p><strong><font size="4">Be a contender.</font></strong> <p>When it comes to mobile, convenience and conversion are the name of the game. From a business growth perspective, it's critical to ensure that your products or services are easily accessible to mobile users so you can boost your chances of capturing and converting an increasingly untethered customer base. <p><font size="1">Article Source: </font><a href="http://EzineArticles.com/6978263"><font size="1">http://EzineArticles.com/6978263</font></a></p> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01449486486668591273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1862812079378727203.post-48274251821653666102012-03-22T08:46:00.001-04:002012-03-22T08:46:35.086-04:00Don Draper’s Guide to Social Media<p><b><i><br>1. Don Draper: Advertising is based on one thing: happiness.</i></b> <p>Nobody wants to read posts that are depressing or disturbing. And they don't RT or share them either. There's a reason. <p>Inspire. Teach. Motivate. Make followers happy. <p><b><i>2. Don Draper: I don't care if you work ten seconds if you bring me something I like.</i></b> <p>You could spend all month working on content strategy, but if people won't like reading it, you've failed. If it inspired you, and more importantly, it would inspire your followers, then don't over-analyze it; post it. <p><b><i>3. Don Draper: You want some respect? Go out there and get it for yourself.</i></b> <p>If all of your posts are links to someone else's material and quotes from the greats, what is setting you apart from everyone else who's posting the same stuff? <p><b><i>4. Don Draper: [Reading aloud from a piece of paper] "The man is shamed by being openly ridiculed and rejected; it requires an audience."</i></b> <p><b><i>Pete Campbell: What is that, fortune cookie?</i></b> <p><b><i>Don Draper: It's from that book you were all supposed to read.</i></b> <p><b><i>Pete Campbell: Oh.</i></b> <p>Do your research. If you are going to post with authority, know what the hell you are talking about. Don't show your ass by not keeping up with what your followers already know. <p>Social Media participants show their asses more often than you might think. Most often in discussion questions. <b>If you're paying attention to what others post, you'll notice. I do.</b> <p><b><i>5. Peggy Olson: Sex sells.</i></b> <p><b><i>Don Draper: Says who? Just so you know, the people who talk that way think that monkeys can do this. They take all this monkey crap and just stick it in a briefcase completely unaware that their success depends on something more than their shoeshine.</i></b> <p>If you want to be provocative in your posts, make it make sense. Make it have relevance. Don't use it just for cheap attention. <p><b><i>YOU are the product. You - FEELING something. That's what sells. Not them. Not sex.</i></b> <p>Social Media has the unique aspect of requiring you to reveal yourself as a person. Whether you are a company, a sole proprietor, or just you personally. That is why Social Media is more popular than traditional media. People like to connect - and that is through emotions, feelings, personal nature. <p>Take if from another (real-life) marketing guru, <b><i>Simon Sinek: "People don't buy what you do, they buy why you do it."</i></b> <p><b><i>6. Don Draper: Every woman wants choices, but in the end, none wants to be one of a hundred in a box.</i></b> <p>Post like you are talking directly to your individual followers. That's golden. Followers want to feel they are recognized for their (perceived) uniqueness. No one wants to feel their interests are generic. Read about <a href="http://www.chrisbrogan.com/update-to-the-unfollow-experiment/">Chris Brogan's Unfollow experiment</a> to understand more. <p><b><i>7. Don Draper: And there are so many real problems in the world.</i></b> <p>Don't post crap just to be able to post. Don't waste your followers time. Make it real. Make it worthwhile. Make it stick. <p><b><i>8. Don Draper: People tell you who they are, but we ignore it - because we want them to be who we want them to be.</i></b> <p>If you are working too hard trying to make your followers into your wannabes, they'll see right through it and leave you or ignore you. They'll know you aren't listening to them and that will turn them right off. <p><b><i>9. Don Draper: When a man walks into a room, he brings his whole life with him. He has a million reasons for being anywhere, just ask him. If you listen, he'll tell you how he got there. How he forgot where he was going, and that he woke up. If you listen, he'll tell you about the time he thought he was an angel or dreamt of being perfect.</i></b> <p>And finally, <b>give a damn about your followers</b>. Quit being the posting narcissist. People who take the time to create a Social Media account are putting themselves out there. They are human beings, like Willie Loman, and "attention must be paid." <p>When is the last time you clicked on a followers page or profile? Their Twitter bio, their Facebook info tab, their LinkedIn profile? <p><b>Do you take the time to learn who your followers are?</b> <p><b>- If not, you're slinging your posts like a slingshot at no particular target...</b> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-twkH5PfM_3g/T2sfKe6TPkI/AAAAAAAAAI0/Lz1FKWVY6f0/s1600-h/golfad2%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="golfad2" border="0" alt="golfad2" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-iZQX8OjeWo4/T2sfKskehxI/AAAAAAAAAI8/T3lFJgkgWIY/golfad2_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="326" height="211"></a> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01449486486668591273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1862812079378727203.post-25727394600106337432012-03-05T16:23:00.001-05:002012-03-05T16:23:31.081-05:00These Social Media Stats Will Blow Your Mind<p> </p> <p><font color="#0000ff" size="4"><strong>Facebook</strong></font></p> <ul> <li>There are now more than 800 million active Facebook users (this was reached on July 1 2011)</li> <li>200 million accounts were added in 2011</li> <li>Facebook is the most visited website on the internet (reaching one trillion pageviews on June 30 2011)</li> <li>11% of the world population has a Facebook account</li> <li>There are more Facebook users than cars (800 million vs 750 million)</li> <li>50% log onto Facebook every day</li> <li>The average user has 130 friends and is connected to 80 pages, events and groups</li> <li>The average user spends 700 mins per month on the site</li> <li>Every 60 seconds on Facebook there are:<br> •510,000 posted comments<br> •293,000 status updates<br> •136,000 uploaded photos<br> •30 billion pieces of content are shared each month</li> <li>Facebook reached 55% of the world’s global audience accounting for roughly 75% of time spent on social networking sites and one in every seven minutes spent online globally</li> <li>Facebook is blocked in China</li> <li>Almost 50% of 18-34 year olds check Facebook when they wake up – 28% before even getting out of bed</li> <li>20 million Facebook applications are installed per day</li> <li>Over 250 million people access Facebook via their mobile phone</li> <li>In just 20 minutes, over 1 million links are shared, 1.5 million event invites are sent, 1.8 million statuses are updated, 2 million friend requests are accepted, 2.7 million photos are uploaded, 2.7 million messages are sent and 10.2 million comments are made</li> <li>More than 2.5 million websites have integrated with Faceboo</li></ul> <p><strong><font color="#0000ff" size="4">FB Business</font></strong></p> <ul> <li>FritoLay set a World Record with 1,575,161 Facebook likes in 24 hours on April 11 2011</li> <li>95% of Facebook wall posts are not answered by brands</li> <li>Auto-posting to Facebook decreases likes and comments by 70%</li> <li>56% of consumers say they are more likely to recommend a brand after becoming a fan on Facebook</li> <li>Two most popular reasons for liking a brand on Facebook: 1. because they are a customer (58%), 2. to get access to discounts and promotions (57%)</li> <li>There are over 36.5M fans of Coca-Cola on Facebook<br> </li></ul> <p><strong><font color="#4f81bd" size="4">Twitter</font></strong></p> <ul> <li>Twitter has 225,000,000 users</li> <li>100 million of these users are logging in at least once a month, 50 million are logging in every day</li> <li>190,000,000 tweets are sent on average per day</li> <li>1 billion tweets were sent every five days in 2011</li> <li>The record is 25,088 tweets per second (when Castle in the Sky was broadcast in Japan)</li> <li>A great majority of tweets are just 40 characters long</li> <li>The average user has 115 followers</li> <li>Lady Gaga is the most followed person on Twitter with over 17.8M followers</li> <li>40% of Twitter users don’t tweet, but instead use it to keep up to date</li> <li>55% access Twitter via mobile</li> <li>Twitter handles 1.6 billion queries per day</li> <li>Nearly 500,000 users are added each day</li> <li>About 21% of Indonesians are on Twitter, making them the most Twitter-addicted nation</li> <li>Japan is the only country where Twitter is more popular than Facebook<br> </li></ul> <p><strong><font color="#4f81bd" size="4">Twitter Business</font></strong></p> <ul> <li>34% of marketers have generated leads using Twitter and 20% have closed deals</li> <li>Tweets that include verbs have a 2% higher shareability than average tweets </li></ul> <p><strong><font color="#000080" size="4">LinkedIn</font></strong></p> <ul> <li>LinkedIn has 135,000,000 users (as at Nov 2011), up from about 85 million in late 2010</li> <li>Every second two new users sign up</li> <li>Age demographics are: 21% 18-24, 36% 25-34, 36% 35-54, 7% 55+</li> <li>LinkedIn membership includes executives from every company listed on the Fortune 500</li> <li>49% of LinkedIn users have a household income over $100k<br> </li></ul> <p><strong><font color="#cc0102" size="4">YouTube</font></strong></p> <ul> <li>YouTube has 490 million unique visitors per month (as at Feb 2011), which generates 92 billion page views</li> <li>In 2010 YouTube reached 700 billion playbacks</li> <li>35 hours of video is uploaded every minute</li> <li>More video is uploaded to YouTube in 60 days than the 3 major US networks created in 60 years</li> <li>Users on YouTube spend a total of 2.9 billion hours per month (326,294 years)</li></ul> <p><strong><font color="#004000" size="4">Google Plus</font></strong></p> <ul> <li>Google+ was the fastest social network to reach 10 million users at 16 days (Twitter 780 days and Facebook 852)</li> <li>Google Plus experienced an increase of 55% in traffic in December 2011 from November 2011</li> <li>Though Google+ is secretive about the number of users, it has been reported that there are 62 million Google+ users (Source: Paul Allen)</li></ul> <p><font color="#ff8000" size="4"><strong>Other Social Networks</strong></font></p> <ul> <li>3,500 photos are uploaded each second on flickr</li> <li>Flickr hosts over 5 billion images</li> <li>Instagram reached 13 million users 13 months after launch</li> <li>There are over 150,000,000 photos uploaded with instagram</li> <li>Foursquare sees 2,000,000 check-ins a week</li> <li>15 million people have Foursquare accounts (as at Dec 2011)</li> <li>Wikipedia hosts over 17 million articles</li> <li>There are over 91,000 Wikipedia contributors</li></ul> <p><strong><font color="#8000ff" size="4">QR Codes</font></strong></p> <ul> <li>QR code uptake has increased 4589% from early 2010 to early 2011</li> <li>56% of QR codes appear on product packaging</li> <li>The majority of users expect to receive a coupon or deal from scanning a QR code</li> <li>11 out of 50 Fortune companies are incorporating QR codes into their marketing strategy</li> <li>68% of QR codes are scanned via an iPhone </li></ul> <p><strong><font color="#333333" size="4">General social media statistics</font></strong></p> <ul> <li>Women are more active on social media than men – 55% vs 45%</li> <li>Social media is responsible for one third of the web traffic in Malaysia</li> <li>North American consumers show the strongest interest in using social media for deals (45%), followed by consumers in Asia-Pacific (34%) and Latin America (33%)</li> <li>A 2011 study confirmed that social media users dine out more and are more likely to become return customers</li> <li>43% of all online consumers follow or are a fan of a brand</li> <li>57% of people talk to people more online than they do in real life</li> <li>15% of 16-24 year olds prefer to receive customer service via social media over any other method, compared to just 8% of 25-34 year olds and 3% of those aged 35-44</li> <li>Social media use is becoming much more even across age groups (see graph below)</li></ul> <p><font color="#400080" size="4"><strong>Mobile</strong></font></p> <ul> <li>Facebook alone accounts for 10% of all mobile data on the iPhone</li> <li>Globally more people own a mobile phone than a toothbrush</li> <li>There are over 500,000 apps in Apple’s App Store (as at Dec 2011)</li> <li>There are 400,000 apps for the Android operating system (as at Dec 2011)</li> <li>Of the world’s 4 billion mobile phones, 1.08 billion are smartphones</li> <li>Smartphone users are twice more active on social media than non smartphone users</li> <li>60% admit to using their device while going to the bathroom<br></li> <li>86% of mobile users are watching TV while using a mobile phone</li> <li>Over 200 million access Facebook from a mobile device and 91% of all mobile internet use is “social” related</li> <li>By 2014 mobile internet use should overtake desktop internet use</li> <li>½ of all local searches are done on mobile devices</li> <li>Half of Twitter’s users use Twitter on their mobile</li> <li>There are 200 million + views of YouTube clips on mobiles every day</li></ul> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01449486486668591273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1862812079378727203.post-70754166379128044712012-02-24T11:24:00.001-05:002012-02-24T11:24:19.483-05:00Spring Promotions in Full Swing!!!<p><em><b>The weather is warming up and so are our promotions!</b></em><b><i><br><em></em></i></b><br>AI Software will be giving away an <a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1109366715612&s=128&e=001GRniG7IDd7aQjE1Ftf5cOq_9Q0sRjhefCtpFl1UI0hDPFJqBoCI9rCNtGQvQh5QBipby1Ug9ySnxskJNbuFh-drHPCZmx0FuXTelLQ3cOmbhNTE-L5GjoFz7Gb1lc-1suYWd2qDyeeE="><b>Amazon Kindle Fire</b></a> every month for the rest of the year to a lucky friend of <a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1109366715612&s=128&e=001GRniG7IDd7be0I9gRS3sqLsJzOLj6wryYrZLxd6eVCZBY8PpcqKn4if_Tfqu607oskUdoMq3gPpDPZHvakdhSYRqhGSAOs1pT2kzw9GKIY8="><b>AI Software, Inc</b></a>.</p> <p><strong><i>Enter the promotion in one (or more) of the following ways:</i></strong> <ol> <li>Like our Facebook Page (<a href="http://www.aifacebook.com">http://www.aifacebook.com</a>).<br> <li>Follow Us on Twitter (<a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1109366715612&s=128&e=001GRniG7IDd7aznjQJFcxD7IHmiWZdeMiWQr0vw5NiL-2vlBK4bh2dPOH8eu6K3K-Trcv0MNMJcT04A7orO5YKuA-Ymlzs5YICzvtl7799DM9WFEJA_4mJXt7TWos4TqnE"><b>CLICK HERE</b></a>).<br> <li>Subscribe to <a href="http://www.AIYouTube.com">http://www.AIYouTube.com</a>. <br> <li>Engage our firm to do a project.<br> <li>Refer business to our team.<br> <li>Write us a testimonial on <a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1109366715612&s=128&e=001GRniG7IDd7bS-r7cpK7mP0Gd2FDundigO9W8mQQ75IiEDe10RI0lRueV3FLHmi6mbffmkmLSvjeu5YnbPUofn7sVeMlTZC4bBm1yygF-nsteyKdRClK6pA=="><b>LinkedIn</b></a>.</li></ol> <p>Guess who Terry's special lunch guest is correctly - more detail at <a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1109366715612&s=128&e=001GRniG7IDd7YO_yIAUDyx-tFralOw_ShRKe3EfNlO9r6OYYojqGhoVU-Ro553fcoC2RmCxAwpU_ECWsFfmukjr-fLeoAWy9w3C4FdLF-XLzfoz4BTS0jbmA==">http://www.aifacebook.com</a> or become friends with <a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1109366715612&s=128&e=001GRniG7IDd7YbtgfEBA61IbctlDaqtKCu7tBTOqZW2VQjRFEnKrFjWQ2qwMRfgUgkfwyaxwhbVSfNIuoheu6DYHPfI6r0h5blQRQbowpF_0OmIAxYXvsx1YcffDGhP5QQTyMljXHxOlcbqiVHq44kCdxo9m8luNjkmM6grdmMMNU="><b>Terry Robinski</b></a> on Facebook.</p> <p align="center"><strong><font size="4"><em>AI Software – putting your web presence together!</em></font></strong></p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-rcAYtm1e6gs/T0e5pIILBvI/AAAAAAAAAHU/3TIBQVPkaaE/s1600-h/google-buzz%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="google-buzz" border="0" alt="google-buzz" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-47_RlbheCz4/T0e5pdcXnTI/AAAAAAAAAHc/LvFTBMFpx2s/google-buzz_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="36" height="36"></a> <a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-h-r3vh4gbNs/T0e5pljxC9I/AAAAAAAAAHk/90B8iN_mUbo/s1600-h/facebook%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="facebook" border="0" alt="facebook" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-67vkv3eErVU/T0e5p3vtQpI/AAAAAAAAAHs/1qAmqFi7Cdc/facebook_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="36" height="36"></a> <a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-vQDJIjNyeCA/T0e5rOZoyAI/AAAAAAAAAH0/u_gYV3P2Ifw/s1600-h/youtube%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="youtube" border="0" alt="youtube" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-FOWqAFtOk8k/T0e5reqPKLI/AAAAAAAAAH8/OcVMzyyNLYY/youtube_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="36" height="36"></a> <a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-yuJt9T1mvtQ/T0e5rou7SwI/AAAAAAAAAIE/h4KdU3eLuW8/s1600-h/twitter%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="twitter" border="0" alt="twitter" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-rOb_nSW5grY/T0e5rxdMNTI/AAAAAAAAAIM/TQIpbJvWO8Q/twitter_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="36" height="36"></a> <a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-lzDp8SZWaPM/T0e5r9eA4MI/AAAAAAAAAIU/7XDM5f9Zmkg/s1600-h/linkined%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="linkined" border="0" alt="linkined" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-qePP_K37_jE/T0e5sJ4qO2I/AAAAAAAAAIc/ACBxAShugq0/linkined_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="36" height="36"></a> <a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-eN-JS6IxCBc/T0e5saYvkaI/AAAAAAAAAIk/O-SdZl-_jvw/s1600-h/blogger%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="blogger" border="0" alt="blogger" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-sMnDfvbLaiY/T0e5socB-oI/AAAAAAAAAIs/9FcO0E_rwnE/blogger_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="36" height="36"></a></p> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01449486486668591273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1862812079378727203.post-22728641294062234742012-01-13T08:27:00.001-05:002012-02-17T14:02:19.830-05:00Terry’s 6 for 2012<p><strong><em>Top 6 predictions that will help your 2012 web presence.</em></strong><br><br><font color="#cc0102" size="3"><strong><em>Get Social or Get Lost Online</em></strong></font><br>The social media craze will continue to grow exponentially in 2012. Few people who have an Internet-enabled device (PC, Mac, iPhone, Droid, etc.) are not on at least one social media site (YouTube counts also) on a daily basis. If you don’t want to bother with a personal social presence, you should still strongly consider a social media presence for your business.<br><br><strong><em><font color="#cc0102" size="3">Smart Phones, No Longer So ‘Smart’</font></em></strong><br>Five or six years ago, the term ‘Smartphone’ meant a phone that connects to the Internet and lets the owner check email, browse the Internet, etc. This year (and beyond), it’s going to be increasingly difficult to find phones that don’t offer these services (thanks in part to the social media craze). Future generations will view the term ‘Smartphones’ like today’s adults view terms such as: Betamax, DVD player, Laser Disc, Compact Disc, Land Line, etc.<br><br><font color="#cc0102" size="3"><strong><em>You Better Recognize</em></strong></font><br>B2C companies will continue to utilize apps to reach their customers on their mobile device(s) – however, B2B will begin to utilize browser recognition – which provides greater efficiency. Browser recognition refers to the ability for a web site to recognize the device that is displaying the site and adjust itself appropriately. This concept allows a single application to be developed rather than multiples (Apple, Droid, etc.) so that a single application can be displayed (with optimal view) on mobile phones and other devices such as tablets. It also allows content to be written and deployed server-side, so the user does not have to update their apps when patches/upgrades are released – with browser recognition, they are automatic.<br><br><strong><font color="#cc0102" size="3"><em>FLASH . . . in the pan?</em></font></strong><br>Flash technology – largely popular for motion/videos online will disappear in the next 18-24 months. The main reason for this prediction is based on the fact that the technology is not supported on (most) mobile devices. The mobile devices that still support Flash technology announced in 2011 that they will be abandoning this platform. So, if your website is currently built in Flash, contact AI Software (513-792-2207) and let’s get you set up for the future.<br><br><strong><font color="#cc0102" size="3"><em>YouTube = YouENCYCLOPEDIA</em></font></strong><br>In August 2011, it was announced that YouTube is the 2nd most queried search engine (Google being #1). This means that there are more searches being done on YouTube than on Yahoo, Bing and other search engines. Google acquired YouTube in 2006 and has done an excellent job of making it into an online encyclopedia. Want to know how to change oil? Check YouTube. Want to figure out how to do something in Word or Excel that you forgot? Check YouTube. While the service is excellent for entertainment, YouTube is quickly becoming an online encyclopedia for those of us who would rather watch a video than read an instruction manual.<br><br><strong><em><font color="#cc0102" size="3">Professionals deliver Professional Service</font></em></strong><br>Whether your web presence is managed by an employee or a third party – you should make sure that you have the right partner. 10 years ago, everyone knew they needed a ‘web site’ for their organization. Today, you need a ‘web presence’ that includes not only your home page – but multiple instances of your business online (Facebook, YouTube, Blog, etc.) to be successful with online marketing. If you still think that your nephew can manage your web presence while he is in college – you will quickly be surpassed by competitors who place value on a quality web presence designed and maintained by a professional team.</p> <p><a href="http://www.aisoftware.us">AI Software</a> – Putting Together Your Web Presence in 2012</p> <p><a href="http://www.aisoftware.us"><img style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="google-buzz" border="0" alt="google-buzz" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-UblzrAAvvtM/TxAxNiKTWYI/AAAAAAAAAGk/IBkBheDqy9M/google-buzz%25255B4%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="36" height="36"></a> <a href="http://www.aiyoutube.com/"><img style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="youtube" border="0" alt="youtube" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-0wF0FiIByt0/TxAxNul34FI/AAAAAAAAAGo/EEF81Lie7Rk/youtube%25255B4%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="36" height="36"></a> <a href="http://www.aifacebook.com"><img style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="facebook" border="0" alt="facebook" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-Y6ukau-btcA/TxAxN6Y1w7I/AAAAAAAAAG0/hTH292iZgyo/facebook%25255B4%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="36" height="36"></a> <a href="http://www.ailinkedin.com"><img style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="linkined" border="0" alt="linkined" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-9G8Dh09qNxs/TxAxOO3QvaI/AAAAAAAAAG8/OG5cAV--FyA/linkined%25255B4%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="36" height="36"></a> <a href="http://www.twitter.com/ebbz32"><img style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="twitter" border="0" alt="twitter" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-sCt_Y9z_78Q/TxAxOW2zCFI/AAAAAAAAAHE/rmgVpPtayhA/twitter%25255B4%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="36" height="36"></a> <a href="http://www.aisoftwareblog.com"><img style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="blogger" border="0" alt="blogger" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-OQVP0Y6QXZ0/TxAxOugdarI/AAAAAAAAAHM/Qr9yJXJ9Km0/blogger%25255B4%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="36" height="36"></a></p> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01449486486668591273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1862812079378727203.post-60866491143087824602011-10-25T14:35:00.000-04:002011-10-25T14:35:00.671-04:006 WEBSITE ‘NO-NOs’<p><strong><font size="3">Listed in order of severity<br></font><em><font color="#a5a5a5" size="2">#6 is the least severe, #1 is the most</font></em></strong></p> <p><strong><font color="#cc0001">6</font> USE OF JARGON IN WEB CONTENT</strong></p> <p>This rule of journalism applies to electronic journalism as well – avoid using terminology that someone outside of your industry may not understand. Remember, they are going to be the ones looking for your services anyway. Jargon is OK on downloads and white papers, but not on general pages.</p> <p><strong><font color="#cc0001">5</font> USE OF SOUND ON A WEBSITE</strong></p> <p>If you want people to visit your website, lose the sound. Think of an example of someone at work visiting a website they should not be on and having unnecessary attention drawn to them because of music or ‘blips’ during navigation. Not referring to ‘adult’ sites, but sites that someone should not be on at work such as a competitors site when they are trying to apply for a job. If you use music, allow the user to dictate when it starts/stops – ALWAYS.</p> <p><strong><font color="#cc0001">4</font> (MIS)USING FLASH</strong></p> <p>In the late 1990s, Flash became a popular platform for building websites because of the ‘wow’ factor. In 2011, web users are finding Flash-based websites more annoying than anything else. Long load times are nothing compared to the fact that Flash sites don’t get indexed by major search engines and are not view-able on many handheld devices (including iPhone & iPad).</p> <p><strong><font color="#cc0001">3</font> NO CONSIDERATION GIVEN TO SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION</strong></p> <p>7-out-of-10 websites evaluated by <a href="http://www.aisoftware.us" target="_blank">AI Software</a> do not even contain an appropriate title. 8-out-of-10 do not contain meta data. 9-out-of-10 contain irelevant or way to general meta data. ANY website should have SOME consideration given to SEO – most should have a campaign in place.</p> <p><strong><font color="#cc0001">2</font></strong> <strong>THINKING THAT YOUR WEBSITE IS 100% OF YOUR MARKETING STRATEGY</strong></p> <p>Your website is a VERY IMPORTANT part of your marketing strategy – it opens your organization to the world. However, it should not be 100% of your marketing strategy. When a professional, functional website is coupled with tried & true marketing strategies – that is when your organization gets the most out of a web presence. Internet-based companies such as <a href="http://www.constantcontact.com/" target="_blank">Constant Contact</a> and <a href="http://www.godaddy.com" target="_blank">GoDaddy</a> have become successful due to a top notch web presence as well as traditional marketing efforts. </p> <p><font color="#cc0001"><strong>1</strong></font> <strong>HIRING NON-QUALIFIED PERSONS TO DESIGN YOUR WEBSITE</strong></p> <p>Easily the biggest ‘no-no’ in web design. Seasoned and successful people who run businesses and organizations would never think of having someone without sufficient experience perform tasks such as accounting, management, operations, etc. – yet, many of these people still trust unqualified individuals to build their web site – the only piece of marketing collateral that can be seen by anyone and everyone in the world. </p> <p>We would love it if you trust <a href="http://www.aisoftware.us" target="_blank">AI Software</a> with your web presence, but if you’re not going to use our team . . . . <strong>PLEASE HIRE A PROFESSIONAL!</strong></p> <p>For additional information, contact <a href="mailto:terry@aisoftwareinc.com">terry@aisoftwareinc.com</a></p> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01449486486668591273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1862812079378727203.post-32285265754996700942011-10-15T09:40:00.001-04:002011-10-15T09:40:52.995-04:00Does My Organization Need a Mobile Website?<p><br>Would having a mobile website help my business sell more products and services?<br> <br>People are searching evermore using their mobile phone. Many business owners have had a dot com website for years and say they've never experienced an increase in business, especially locally. They have asked how a mobile website would help. A mobile website and traditional dot com websites are very different. A dot com website usually has focused on the early stage of the sale, a mobile website is normally used more in the later part of the sales process, and potential buyers are looking and ready to buy at that point.<br> <br>Mobile users want information about how they can buy your product or service. They want to know your hours, location, how to contact you, about specials or promotions, etc. Without having a mobile website in place, your competitor's will be found.<br> <br>So whether your business is a pizza place, you're a consultant, lawyer, a plumber, your customers/clients are still going to be looking for you and if you have a mobile website the better chance they will find you.<br> <br>Monetizing components of Mobile Marketing and Increase Customer Loyalty<br> <br>You have customers that come in once every 2 weeks, once a month, once every two months. By offering mobile opportunities and engagements aggressively to existing customers, your mobile database will grow rapidly. When this happens, timely notification of special VIP only deals and discounts, friendly reminders of events and promotions will get them to come in 2 more times this year.<br> <br><strong>Lead Generation:</strong> Your brand may be attempting to reach out to new customers in a variety of ways; radio, newspaper, direct mail, events, networking, signage, flyers, word of mouth, email, are just a few of the possibilities.<br> <br>When these potential clients see or hear your message they frequently ignore it, forget it, or simply disregard it because it isn't the right time of the day, or possibly the right time of their life for your product or service.<br> <br>When you put the immediate "call-to-action" of Text BUSINESS NAME to 72727 in the center of "traditional" advertising, it gives customers an easy and immediate way to interact with you and your brand.<br> <br>These customers already love you and your business, and have requested updates and offers. Now when we promote to this loyal database anywhere between 2 and 4 times a month on average (frequency varies greatly by industry), data shows that this branding and timeliness of additional communication will trigger additional engagements over the course of a year.<br> <br>Since the amount of cell phones and smart phones are growing at an alarming rate, along with local searches, mobile websites are the tool to drastically help increase the speed of the buying process. </p> <p><em><strong>Customers are looking to buy and the mobile website is designed to answer just the questions they need to find you and buy from you.</strong></em> </p> <p>For more information, email <a href="mailto:terry@aisoftwareinc.com">terry@aisoftwareinc.com</a></p> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01449486486668591273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1862812079378727203.post-29639978624473959822011-10-07T12:58:00.001-04:002011-10-07T12:58:23.239-04:00REMEMBERING STEVE JOBS | 1955-2011<table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" width="590"> <tbody> <tr> <td valign="top" width="341"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-vVO6CDrFppQ/To8vrMte2RI/AAAAAAAAAGY/5hhLeN8uwec/s1600-h/aa%25255B14%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: left; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="aa" border="0" alt="aa" align="left" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-zlx4j8_aXdE/To8vrXqjD4I/AAAAAAAAAGc/kvWyGNCBhMo/aa_thumb%25255B8%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="335" height="326"></a></td> <td valign="top" width="32"> </td> <td valign="top" width="215"><br><strong><u><font size="1"><br>Click the links below for articles:</font></u></strong><br><br><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Jobs" target="_blank">Steve Jobs Wiki</a><br><br><a href="http://allaboutstevejobs.com/index.html" target="_blank">Steve Jobs Tribute Site</a><br><br><a href="http://www.apple.com/stevejobs/" target="_blank">Apple.com Steve Jobs Page</a><br><br><a href="http://www.forbes.com/profile/steve-jobs/" target="_blank">Forbes.com Profile</a><br><br><a href="http://www.macstories.net/roundups/inspirational-steve-jobs-quotes/" target="_blank">Steve Jobs Quotes</a><br><br><a href="http://www.biography.com/people/steve-jobs-9354805" target="_blank">Steve Jobs Biography</a><br><br><a href="http://www.biography.com/people/steve-jobs-9354805/photos/steve-jobs" target="_blank">Photo Gallery</a><br></td></tr></tbody></table> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01449486486668591273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1862812079378727203.post-79980130079881665432011-09-09T12:37:00.001-04:002011-09-09T12:37:51.036-04:00To APP or not To APP. . .<p><br>These days, a large percentage of the population uses an iPhone or Droid (Android) for their preferred method of communication. These users are used to being separated from their money - $1 at a time – through the ‘APP Store’ offered by either Apple or Android. </p> <p>Increasing adoption and usage of ‘APPs’ is creating a buzz for businesses and organizations to wonder – do we need to create an ‘APP’?</p> <h4>. . . That is the question!</h4> <p>When examining whether or not your organization should create an iPhone or Android APP, perhaps the question should be: What will my APP accomplish?</p> <p>Here are some potential benefits of creating an APP:</p> <ul> <li>Create a new marketing channel.</li> <li>Create a new revenue stream.</li> <li>Create a viral promotion with a fun APP.</li> <li>Allow customers to remotely access data including placing orders, access important information, place instant orders and more.</li></ul> <h4>You Better Recognize!</h4> <p>While APPs are certainly ‘cool’ and ‘sexy’ (thanks in large part to the brilliant marketing team at Apple) – Mobile Web is actually less expensive and can be much more beneficial and easy to manage.</p> <p>Mobile web refers to a website that is built and optimized for display on mobile devices. <a href="http://www.aisoftware.us" target="_blank">AI Software</a> uses BROWSER RECOGNITION – this means that the web application actually recognizes what type of device is accessing the site and displays a different interface accordingly. So, the actual mobile web application ‘knows’ if it’s being viewed by an iPhone, Android, iPad, Dell Streak, HP Slate, etc. and display itself accordingly. </p> <p><strong><u>A Mobile Web Site offers the following benefits:</u></strong></p> <ul> <li>Create 1 product with multiple displays, rather than multiple products for each platform (save time, save money).</li> <li>Updates are made in real time – your stakeholders do not have to download updates from the APP Store constantly.</li> <li>Give customers instant access to the Mobile Web Application – no download necessary. Access via URL – don’t have to find it in a ‘store’ environment.</li> <li>Can be the same URL as your company page and use browser recognition to display accordingly.</li> <li>Because it is browser-based, this product will function on ALL current and future portable devices.</li></ul> <p>Regardless of the direction you take for your mobile marketing strategy, count on <a href="http://www.aisoftware.us" target="_blank">AI Software</a> to help you every step of the way!</p> <p>Email me for more information: <a href="mailto:terry@aisoftwareinc.com">terry@aisoftwareinc.com</a></p> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01449486486668591273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1862812079378727203.post-35559418117424257442011-07-26T12:02:00.001-04:002011-07-26T12:02:32.595-04:00Search Engine Wars<p><br>It is common knowledge now that Google dominates the search engine wars. While Bing, Yahoo! and Ask.com continue to hold their own, a new leader is quickly emerging. </p> <p>When looking at the aggregate amount of queries/searches done across all of the major websites, portals, etc. we find that the second largest search engine in 2011 is not Bing or Yahoo! – but <a href="http://www.aiyoutube.com/" target="_blank">YouTube</a>.</p> <p><strong><em>Web users are getting used to video responses to their queries . . .</em></strong> </p> <p>Is it really that hard to believe that <a href="http://www.aiyoutube.com" target="_blank">YouTube</a> (purchased by Google in 2006) is the second largest search engine?</p> <p>It is more than just the traffic that is generated from web users looking for an entertainment venue – it is about education. Hundreds of thousands of video tutorials exist on <a href="http://www.aiyoutube.com/" target="_blank">YouTube</a> today!</p> <p><a href="http://www.aiyoutube.com/" target="_blank"><strong><em>YouTube</em></strong></a><strong><em> is what future generations will use instead of an encyclopedia.</em></strong></p> <p>Not sure how to wash a dog? Change a diaper? Jailbreak an iPhone? Build a deck? Do a magic trick? Play the solo in Van Halen's 'Running With The Devil'? Understand what Google TV will be? Whatever random question you have, someone, somewhere has created a video with the answer and the tutorial on how to do it. </p> <p>It begs the question: how well are you leveraging the power of <a href="http://www.aiyoutube.com/" target="_blank">YouTube</a> online videos to connect with your customers?</p> <p><strong><em>Want some ideas – let us know!</em></strong></p> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01449486486668591273noreply@blogger.com0